


i found you

by embersofthesunset



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (tags will be updated as work is updated), Canon Compliant, F/M, First Kiss, First-Year Hinata Shouyou, First-Year Kageyama Tobio, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Future Timeskips, Kageyama's Endless Pining, Kags being a volleyball nerd but in a sad way, Light Angst, M/M, Obliviousness, Pining, Soulmates, Third-Year Hinata Shouyou, Third-Year Kageyama Tobio, character exploration!, cuteness, rated t for cursing, they're all bokes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27322981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embersofthesunset/pseuds/embersofthesunset
Summary: First in middle school, then in the Karasuno volleyball team, Kageyama can never really get Hinata Shouyou out of his head. There's truly no one that's caught his attention like this tangerine, no one who's really made him feel this special way.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 27
Kudos: 44





	1. those three years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all!
> 
> This is my first serious fanfiction (as in, this is not crack nor an outline). Then again, how serious can fluff fanfiction really be? Yes, I have somehow FINISHED THIS FANFICTION, and it's been sitting in my Google Docs for a week.
> 
> Anyways, I love writing obliviousness and squealing behind my computer screen as I write these two bokes at 12:30 am, so I hope you enjoy this too hehe
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated!

_ **“What were you doing for the last three years?”** _

Is what Kageyama Tobio yelled when he first saw orange-haired Hinata Shoyo, gripping the net, eyebrows drawn together, nostrils flared.

He couldn’t help it, after all. How could that raw talent he saw in the orange-haired boy go to that much waste?

———————————————————————

At first, Kageyama didn’t even spare the other team a glance. I mean, come on. Since they were playing against Kitagawa Daichi, his team, they were seeded in last place. They didn’t even have a libero, and everyone was short and lacking in basic technical volleyball skills. Kageyama tsk’ed as he turned back towards his team, confident that they were going to have an easy game. It would be a waste of time, another team to breeze through, inconsequential to their goal.

“Hey, Izumi!” A bright voice cut through the haze of noise in the convention center. Kageyama didn’t know WHY it stood out, but he turned around anyway, searching for the source of the voice.

“W-what, Hinata?” Kageyama spun around and there! Only two of the teammates were chatting - all of the others were passing back and forth. Kageyama couldn’t help but wince at their platforms, stances, and movements. The platforms swung high into the air, catapulting the poor ball into the ceiling or into other teams’ courts. Their sets slapped at the ball - and Kageyama winced. Volleyballs should only be treated with care, with the utmost delicacy. Setting was a thing of precision and gently pushed up the ball to the perfect spot.

The teammate who had just spoken had light brown hair and brown eyes, and he was next to another boy, who had bright orange hair and brown eyes. Something nagged him about the second teammate, but he ignored the wriggling feeling in his stomach, dismissing it as nerves.

But why would he have nerves against a team who could barely play volleyball? And why in the world was he still watching them? Forcing himself to turn around and focus back on his team, the orange-haired kid - Hinata? - resided in his thoughts.

———————————————————————

He just couldn't stop thinking about that scrawny, shrimpy, idiotic orange-haired kid. Granted, they were the same age, but that one time that they had made eye contact, there was pure, childish, unrestrained JOY in those eyes, almost as glaring and fierce as the sun. It reminded Kageyama of himself, someone who he was a long time ago.

"You have to run faster to meet the spike at its perfect contact point! You need to exhaust your full potential to match my perfect sets!"

"You're not giving it your all, Kunimi. What's the point of playing if you're not giving it your all?"

Kageyama could see the darkness forming in his teammates' eyes, the daggers their glares threw whenever they whispered and huddled together without him. He didn't know how to talk to them, didn't know how he could solve this, this widening chasm where he was the only one left on the other side -

It was _fine_. It-it didn't bother him at all. He was giving them the best tosses possible.

_Why could they never hit them?_

The cycle repeated, over and over, Kageyama glaring at the scoreboard and his teammates if the other side ever got a point. He had all he needed, and yet, he was powerless. The system was not working together, the cogs jamming together, the process stuck in one place.

_Why was it this way?_

The whispers grew, the glares turning into poisoned daggers, ready to assassinate the king at any time. Kageyama never knew when they would strike.

Maybe that's why he was so nervous at the beginning of the game. It had happened before, him reaching his breaking point. It could happen again.

———————————————————————

Finally, match point. Kageyama thought nothing of the other side's setter's mistake. It would just mean that they could end this game quicker and move on to more productive and challenging opponents. They NEEDED to win this tournament. Kageyama NEEDED to be the best setter, to surpass Oikawa. He-he needed to win something. Even if he had destroyed the delicate trust that had once existed between him and his teammates.

He could never forget that day - when Oikawa-senpai outright refused to teach him to serve.

That day always seemed to reside in the back of Kageyama’s mind, even on his good days, but on his bad ones (which were pretty often), it would resurface again.

_“O-Oikawa-senpai! Can you teach me how to serve?”_

Kageyama’s request was almost met by a punch to the face, his senior Iwaizumi-senpai barely managing to restrain the captain of the team. Soon enough, Kageyama’s awe turned into fear, sadness, and… confusion.

Why was that? Was Kageyama not good enough? He knew people called him a genius. Even if he was so genius, why did he never get best setter? Why did everyone seem to ostracize him?

Volleyballs were much easier to deal with than people. At least with volleyballs, he had a semblance of control, a routine with various variations. But people? People were unpredictable, menacing, always seeming to be out to get him.

———————————————————————

Distracted by his own thoughts, he failed to notice the bush of orange hair dart across the court in a split second, with superhuman speed. By the time he jumped, it was too late -

_Damn it. I thought I had him marked! he shouldn't be above me right now, left unguarded -_

Why did things never go his way? Why was it that he had everything he needed to get to his goal, but he always fell short?

Time seemed to slow down in those moments. Replacing the cheery, innocent, and bright face was a look so intense Kageyama got chills just staring into his eyes.

Those eyes, filled with passion and determination and desperation. In a sense, it was almost heartbreaking. He was the only one on his team who truly cared for volleyball. Kageyama could tell in the way he moved, as if he breathed the sport. He was a natural. For some reason, it made him stomach do flips, his heart pounding erratically, as he watched the other boy fly.

This team was probably formed last-minute. What was it like, being alone for so long? In a way, Kageyama knew the answer to that. He had already been isolated by his teammates ever since they started calling him the "Tyrant King".

But this was a different kind of loneliness.

Kageyama, for some inexplicable reason, never wanted Hinata to be lonely again.

It was heartbreaking, the way Hinata spiked that ball. No technique, just pure power and grit to not make this point the last. He had seen that desperation in so many players before, and towered over them when he blocked them.

So why did Hinata _feel_ so different?

———————————————————————

"Hey, Tobio, look! It's the high school volleyball nationals! You're definitely going to have fun watching it."

Young Tobio Kageyama's eyes brightened as he watched the coordinated movements of the players; running, leaping, and diving across the court like synchronized swimmers. Of course, the person that was most important to him was the setter, who orchestrated all of the attacks, the heart of it all. The true king of the court. Tobio's hands and wrists flicked up and down, copying the setter's movements with an imaginary volleyball, his parents and grandparents chuckling at his movements as they watched a boy continue to fall in love with volleyball.

"KARASUNO HIGH SCHOOL, MATCH POINT!"

That high school was stuck in his head - Karasuno. It wasn't as prominent as Shiratorizawa, but Tobio guessed it could be another choice, too, if their volleyball team was that good when he grew up.

The setter, in one graceful motion, gave the final push and tossed the ball high into the air for the ace. It was a perfect, fluid motion, leaving Tobio breathless.

The ace, a short teenager with black hair and the number 10 imprinted in bold white on his jersey, jumped higher than anyone Tobio had ever seen before and deflected off of the block, the ball soaring into the air, barely grazing the ceiling, and landing in the crowd, several people rushing to catch a glimpse of or even touch the sacred volleyball, as they cheered and chanted his name:

"The Little Giant!"

Even though he was so short, he was still so much more powerful than anyone else in the room.

———————————————————————

As Hinata flew - not jumped, flew - Kageyama was taken back in time to that spring day in front of the old television, watching the Little Giant fly.

How could Hinata have wasted that potential? How could he have been satisfied with the lack of volleyball in his life, with the way he lived and breathed it in this game?

These thoughts raced in his head as they shook hands, but one thought was too strong to keep in his head.

Kageyama turned around and fiercely grabbed the net, something like, but not quite, anger blazing in his eyes. Everyone else had already left the court - they were the only two there. The net burned under his fingers, but he only clenched the strings harder, blue hair streaking across his face, tinged with droplets of sweat.

"What the FUCK were you doing for the last three years?" He yelled into Hinata’s face, eyes narrowed, the net swinging up and down.

He didn't know why he was this angry. It was impossible to explain.

The other player startled, looked at him with - tears in his eyes? - turned, and walked away.

_If this is the last time I see him, good riddance._ Kageyama looked back at the quickly-disappearing head of orange hair. _But that would be disappointing._

_Hinata, you better not waste the next three._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the first chapter! I'm planning for this fic to have around four or five parts, so make sure to subscribe to keep up if you really liked it :D
> 
> Updates on Sundays! I prewrote this fic so no abandoned fics here mhm
> 
> Comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are very much appreciated! As I said before, this is my first completed fic, so any feedback would help!
> 
> Thank you to all of my beta readers - calicokitten123, Fluffybeanie666, and one more friend who STILL DOESN'T HAVE AN AO3 ACCOUNT (ok you really need to get one, you know who you are)
> 
> RIP Kageyama's backstory, I just want to give him a hug D:
> 
> I refuse to believe that Kageyama has not been in love with Hinata since day one and I will fight for that
> 
> KageHina supremacy have a good day
> 
> if u made it to the end you get a boop on the nose from a harp seal (look them up they're adorable)


	2. the other half of me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *narrator voice* Kageyama Tobio realizes he's gay, VERY GAY, for Hinata Shouyou.
> 
> _Beautiful._
> 
> _That’s what Hinata Shouyou was. That’s what he hoped they would become, together._
> 
> __Beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to lie, this isn’t exactly my favorite chapter, but I spent a good amount of time on it and deemed it ready to publish. (Even though it's very short, but shhhhhh)
> 
> The election over here was crazy! My stomach was filled with anxiety GALORE as I stared at the TV screen for five hours every day. Still remember screaming at Nevada and Pennsylvania to hurry up with their counting. I’m satisfied with the results, though! Also, I definitely cried when Kamala gave her speech - seeing a WOC up there was literally so inspirational as a WOC.
> 
> But. BUT! *claps hands* Today, yes, TODAY, we are going to continue Kageyama’s neverending pining! (This is such a slow burn and I’m not even ashamed to admit it. Fully self aware.) Anyways enjoy these two gay idiots mwah

_ Karasuno High School… _ Kageyama tugged his backpack on his shoulder and felt his face droop a little. It was the first day of high school, and he barely understood anything that was going on in class, and already he could feel people talking about him…

Some girls were giggling about him behind his back. He was never really comfortable with that, with other people muttering his name without really knowing what they were talking about. In addition, other boys were nudging each other, pointing at him as he walked by. Voices crowded around him - he was a bug under a magnifying glass, everyone else peering through as his thoughts and fears were magnified.

At least the volleyball club was there - and he hoped the famous Coach Ukai would be there. That was basically the only reason why Kageyama had gone to Karasuno instead of any other “powerhouse” school. His face scrunched up as he recalled his rejection from Shiratorizawa, the words “We’re very sorry to inform you that your application to Shiratorizawa Academy has been rejected” repeating in his head even weeks after he had received it.

Why had he not been recommended in the first place? He knew what they called him. The King, but not in the context his teammates used. 

_ Their scornful glances, armed with poisonous knives, always planning an assassination. And assassinate the king they did. _

Hearing people refer to him as that was like stabbing thorns in his chest as Kageyama tried to escape the bushel of roses he was trapped in. He was still an exceptional setter, though, according to everyone else’s standards, right? His benching at the last game didn’t matter. It didn’t matter,  _ it didn’t- _

Before he knew it, lost in his thoughts, his feet knocked against concrete stairs. He had arrived at the volleyball club room, the sign to the gym He wasn’t even actively looking for it, but he was always subconsciously attracted to volleyball, as if it was a force that continued to tug on him, never letting him out of its reach. 

There was another reason why Kageyama had gone to Karasuno. He couldn’t place a finger on it, but somehow, the name had a pull on him. His eyes had immediately darted to and focused on it when it was on his list of options, but he didn’t exactly know why. Did he know someone who went there? Were there any notable players?

As it turned out, they currently had the nickname: “The Wingless Crows”. How gruesomely poetic. 

But Kageyama was determined to change it, to turn it all around. He knew that with his power, he could make the team better. As long as they tried to match up with his sets, they would be unstoppable. He would make the best plays for them, only give them the most accurate tosses. It wouldn’t be a repeat of junior high. No, he couldn’t afford that. 

_ The ball dropping to the ground behind him, no player even bothering to try and hit it _ .  _ Sitting on the sidelines, watching as the other players screw up the game entirely, without him at the helm. Why did it always have to end this way? _

He struggled to push these memories away, trying to slam the door on them but they somehow managed to resist, pushing into his brain. 

Kageyama glanced at the door to the club room and made his way back down, heading in the direction of the gym, the sound of his footsteps the only noises interrupting his thoughts.

Kageyama startled when he saw Hinata’s bright bush of orange hair at the Karasuno High School gym. There was pure joy in those eyes, even more ecstatic than what he had seen on the first day of his last middle school tournament, but it quickly turned to surprise, disbelief, and then anger.

Hinata started shouting at him, and he ended up shouting back because, well, what else could he do? He never really knew… people. All he knew were the lines of the court, the texture of the leather volleyball, the way it perfectly fit into his hands as he pushed it up high for the spikers to hit and as he spiked it across the court when he served, leaving a satisfying tingle in his hand-

He only knew the world of volleyball, not the world of people.

But, how, HOW did this boy make him feel right at home? When Kageyama looked at him, it was like sitting by a blazing hearth in the dead of winter, warmth comfortably enveloping his body, like the sun appearing through the clouds on an overcast day. Like a warm hug from his grandfather. Like a cozy blanket wrapped around him as he watched volleyball on the television, body sinking into the softness of the couch as his parents looked on.

Unfortunately for Hinata, however, Kageyama actually wanted to win, despite this weird feeling of… comfort that he felt around him. Why did he feel so drawn to him, anyway? He was a terrible volleyball player who would only get in the way of his goals, after all. Mentally shoving his thoughts aside, he focused on the present moment, and shouted: 

“I CAN SET, SPIKE, AND PASS ALL BY MYSELF! I WON’T SET TO PEOPLE WHO CAN’T EVEN DO ANYTHING TO ENSURE VICTORY!”

Hurt flashed in those eyes, making Kageyama wince internally. It was replaced, however, with this sudden fire, which made Kageyama shiver a tiny bit, with the sudden change.

Hinata was like a light that was always on, wasn’t he? A light in Kageyama’s never ending darkness.

  
  


_ Right on target. There.  _ It was the perfect pass, a perfect time to set. Kageyama ran to the ball, quickly getting into a setter’s stance, arms, wrists and hands ready to push the ball upwards.

He looked back, seeing Hinata looking at the ball with hunger in his eyes.

It was the perfect moment. One moment the ball was in the air, the next in his hands, and after that, into Hinata’s palm, straight into the other side’s court.

In that moment where Hinata jumped, the world seemed to move in slow motion again.

He - he was flying. Just like in that match in middle school, he was flying. Kageyama could see his wings, beautiful, majestic, wings made of crow feathers, glistening in the late sunlight, as radiant as gems. 

What was even more shocking - Hinata’s eyes were closed. Kageyama had never seen trust like that before, blind, pure,  _ willing  _ trust that he would deliver. None of his former teammates would have ever trusted him like that, always sparing a moment of hesitation to consider if Kageyama really gave them a good toss (and he did, he made sure of it, it was their fault for their hesitation, that they didn’t jump to their maximum height), and they ended up being late to the ball, their fingertips barely grazing the ball with just enough force to make it over the net.

Hinata’s face was filled with tension, anxiety, all of his emotions on his face, not just expressed by the eyes, but by every movement that he made. He was so expressive, like a ball of emotions that crashed into Kageyama's life. But what struck Kageyama the most was, once again, his drive, his _ determination _ . He had worked so hard to get to this point, hadn’t he? Even without a volleyball team at his school, he still ended up here, on the same court as Kageyama. 

_ Smack. _ The ball connected soundly with Hinata’s palm, the sound snapping Kageyama back to reality. One moment, Hinata and the ball were in the air, and the next, they were both on the ground. But how did that moment feel like eternity?

Hinata’s eyes. They were stars, shining with rays of hope and emotions that were too pure, too raw for Kageyama to decipher.

It was like they were made for each other. They were two halves, two opposites, who fit perfectly together like yin and yang.

Kageyama knew why he had come to this high school. Somehow, the forces of the universe had brought them together, a pair that were complete opposites of each other. All he wanted was to toss to Hinata forever, for him to blindly trust in Kageyama that he would always deliver the perfect set, and for Kageyama to trust that Hinata would always be there. Because all they could do in this game was trust, right?

He was in love with Hinata’s smile. The way his orange hair fluffed up. His little gestures. Kageyama was falling and falling and nothing had ever seemed so thrilling and exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. It was like a rollercoaster, but at the same time, it was so much more than that. This was the first time he had ever felt something like this.

As the game went on and they started to perfectly sync with each other, Kageyama dared to imagine a future, where they were on the world stage, and the world would see them perfectly sync together, and it was just so - 

Beautiful.

That’s what Hinata Shouyou was. That’s what he hoped they would become, together.

Beautiful.

He wanted to feel like this forever.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to possibly be my favorite chapter out of the five or six I have planned for you today! Be on the lookout for a massive updating of tags, including:
> 
> Drumroll, please!
> 
> A kiss?!?!?!  
> A timeskip?!?!?!
> 
> Make sure to subscribe to the fic to find out what happens next week!
> 
> Also, I take constructive criticism! Please be gentle but otherwise I would love to hear how I can improve my writing!
> 
> I finally set up my tumblr! Tumblr: @embers-of-the-sunset (for ✨consistency✨)


	3. i found you (and i'm in your arms)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the last day of high school, and Kageyama gets one more chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaah I hope all of you have been doing really great this week! This is one of my favorite chapters in this fic, and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
> 
> Dedicated to @calicokitten123
> 
> :3
> 
> (It also basically doubled the word count of this fic, so you can see how excited I was writing this ;)
> 
> Thank you again for sticking with this fic! There should be around 2 chapters left (even though I might take a little break to revise those two said chapters...)

Kageyama Tobio pushed open the metal door to the gym on his last day of high school. Looking around at the familiar setting, with the lingering smell of sweaty teenagers mixed with cleaning supplies, memories came flooding back.

_ Hinata spiking his ball with complete trust. _

_ Fighting with Hinata in the gym, because Hinata wanted nothing more than to use his own wings to fly instead of depending on Kageyama. _

_ Hinata… hitting him in the back of his head. Well, that one wasn’t nearly as fond as the others, but it counted. _

All of his memories seemed to be about Hinata, weren’t they? Even after three years, several girlfriends and boyfriends later, he could never really get Hinata Shouyou out of his head. He seemed to be occupying more and more of Kageyama’s thoughts, no matter how hard he tried to think about other people.

Twisting the doorknob and unlocking the storage closet, broken brooms and deflated balls flashed in front of his eyes like ghosts. His footsteps echoed slightly on the concrete, the sound of the volleyballs falling into the cart the only noise in the gym.

Today was a scary day. It was the end of his childhood, of his youth. Sometime far in the future, he would either regret it or look upon it fondly, looking at what he should have done, wanted to have done, never did. Ghosts of past decisions, past regrets, would haunt him. Smiling sadly to himself, Kageyama knew he would probably look at these years with regret, because he had never really done one of the things he most wanted to. He had never dated Hinata Shouyou, not even once.

It was fine, though. Tugging the cart over the bump leading into the gym, Kageyama walked over to the other side of the court, the net already set up. Somehow, someone had known that either he or Hinata would end up on this court this day. It was inevitable, after all. Both of them were drawn to volleyball more than anything else. Even each other. Because if they didn’t have each other, at least they would have the feeling of the ball soundly hitting their palms when they served, the sting of the ball on their arms when receiving a hard spike, the graceful motions of setting, the redness in their palms when they spiked.

_ Thud thud. Thud thud. _ Kageyama bounced the ball a few times before the service line then took a deep breath and stepping back to serve. He held the blue and yellow volleyball in front of him, focusing on nothing but the future sensation of the toss, run, jump, and strike. 

_ Bam _ . The ball flew sharply to the other side of the court, barely above the net, striking the spot where there would be a seam between the middle back and right back. He had spent the past three years perfecting his serve, even if he had no one to teach him. 

Yes, volleyball. That would be what made him happy. Not anyone else - feelings were fleeting, people came and went. But volleyball? The sport would always be there, something comforting, like home. 

Hinata felt like home, too, but he wasn’t going to focus on that. No, volleyball would make him happy. 

Kageyama clenched his teeth and ran back to grab another volleyball. And another one. And another one. He didn’t know why he was so angry, so unsettled. He was supposed to be happy, right? Finally freed from the hell that was school and into the joy of adulthood. 

He knew that there was something missing. Like a piece of his heart that had been stolen on the first day of school and never returned to him.

Out of breath and body filled with sweat, Kageyama picked up the last ball in the cart. He examined it, turning it back and forth, feeling the texture under his palms. It was a bit flat, but that was to be expected from a ball at the bottom of the cart. Kageyama gave the ball a resounding  _ smack _ , and sent it flying over to the other side of the court with deadly accuracy.

Then, out of nowhere, Hinata came flying in. One moment, there was no sign of him, and the next, Kageyama saw the familiar orange blur leap in and receive the ball perfectly. It almost gave him deja vu to when Nishinoya, who had graduated last year (barely), first made his appearance in the saga of the Karasuno high school boys’ volleyball team. Kageyama saw his senpai’s energy channeled by Hinata, who slid onto the floor and rolled over, grinning as he ran over to meet Kageyama at the net.

“Rollingu… THUNDAAAHHH!!!” Hinata yelled, punching his fist in the air enthusiastically, then giggling.  Damn it he was so cute. “Hey, Yachi told me to get you since the graduation ceremony was in two hours. She didn’t know where you were, but I did!”  _ Dang it, why did he have to look so self-satisfied? That dumbass. _

“Well, now you have me.” Kageyama rolled his eyes. “Take me to the graduation ceremony, I guess.”

“But there’s so many volleyballs lying around!” Hinata gestured to the sea of volleyballs on the court. 

~~ You see, this was Kageyama’s master plan to spend more time with Hinata before graduation ended and they would inevitably go their separate ways. He knew Hinata was going to Brazil, and he was planning to go straight into the national professional league. It’s fine. He could survive without Hinata. They were friends. They would call. Mhm. ~~

“Yeah, you better help me pick them up,” Kageyama retorted, and Hinata closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out in response. Even after three years, not much had changed. Their same old banter, their personalities - it was comforting. He didn’t want this to change. Or did he?

Bending down to pick up a ball, Kageyama sneaked a glance at Hinata, who was darting around picking up volleyballs at superhuman speed, as always.  _ Show-off _ . The bright afternoon light caught in his long, bright orange hair, making it glisten like garnets. For a moment, Kageyama couldn’t take his eyes off of his hair. But then, it passed, the light gone, and everything went back to normal again. Kageyama mentally shook himself. He couldn’t get distracted, all he needed to do was pick up all of the -

Volleyballs. There were none left on the court except for the one in his hands. He sent an annoyed look towards Hinata’s way, to which the other replied with a nonverbal “I told you so!”

“837 wins!” Hinata announced proudly, spinning around to the opposite side of the volleyball cart. He placed his arms on the stack of volleyballs and gave Kageyama a smile that, he had to admit, made his heart flutter the tiniest bit.

~~_ Why is he so cute- _ ~~

It was extremely childish of them to keep track of their personal competitions with each other, but it was a tradition they had started one month into their freshman year and they somehow had managed to keep track of everything until their third year.

“You dumbass, it’s 835. Getting to school and leaving class does NOT count as a race.”

Hinata stuck his tongue out again and blew a raspberry at Kageyama, to which the latter rolled his eyes.

“It totally does! You counted it as a victory 5 days ago, so why shouldn’t i?”

“ _ Fine. _ ”

They hadn’t bantered like that in this gym for a while. Suddenly, Kageyama became self-conscious of how much they had changed from the first time they met each other. For starters, they were taller.  _ Much  _ taller. Kageyama was now Tsukishima’s first-year height, and Hinata had grown more than a couple of centimeters. His elbows couldn’t reach over the net, which Kageyama lorded over him. However, their appearances were only the tip of the iceberg. For one thing, Hinata was an excellent defensive and offensive player, his receiving skills almost as good as Nishinoya’s was and his spikes -

It had a completely different feel to it. In their first year, Hinata had flapped his wings, flying up to meet the ball, struggling to be fed. But now, he practically demanded the attention of the ball, and he propelled himself into the air like a jet taking off. Hinata had a completely different presence in the court. He just couldn’t be ignored.

Maybe that was why he attracted so many people. Kageyama had seen Hinata date a fair share of both girls and boys, but quickly dumping them after a few weeks or months.

Kageyama remembered a conversation on top of the roof, with only the wind, birds, and sun to accompany them.

  
\--------------------------------------------  
  


_ “You’ve literally dated and dumped at least five people in the last three months. You’re honestly such a player. How do people not hate you?” Kageyama had asked that day. _

_ “There was just something that didn’t seem to click, ya know?” Hinata turned to stare out in the distance, eyes glazed over, unfocused. “Both of us knew that, so there was nothing really rotten about it.” _

_ Bringing the focus back into his eyes, he turned to Kageyama and gave him a small smile.  _

_ “For some vague reason, I feel like it’s so close. Like the person that I’m looking for is just within reach, close enough to grab, but it’s impossible to reach out.” _

_ “Yeah, I kind of feel that, too.” _

_ “Shut up, ‘Mr. Kageyama Girls-Flock-All-Over-Me Tobio.” _

_ “Shut up, Hinata Playboy-Dumbass Shoyo.” _

_ “I hate youuuu...“ Hinata whined as he playfully docked Kageyama’s arm. _

_ “That’s already been established several times before, dumbass.” _

_ “No, you’re the dumbass!” _

_ “No, you!” _

Those petty squabbles. It seemed like such a long time ago, a time where they could act bratty and selfish and carefree, before they were senpais and had to be the voices of reason on the team.

(But really, could ANYONE imagine Hinata as a voice of reason? Yeah, I thought so.)

_ Hinata’s eyes softened once again, and they spent a moment staring into the distance again, lost in their own thoughts. _

“What if  **I’m** the one who completes you?” Was what Kageyama Tobio was too scared to ask that day.

  
\--------------------------------------------  
  


Kageyama found himself staring into Hinata’s rich chocolate eyes across from him, only the volleyball cart separating them. With a jolt, he snapped back into the present and finally put the last volleyball in the cart.

“There’s so many memories here, ya know?” Hinata gestured around to the familiar gym. “I’m really sad to leave it, but at the same time, I’m excited for the future.”

“You’re going to Brazil, right?”

“Yeah - it’s definitely going to be a learning experience. Super exciting. The only thing is - I’ll have to learn like two different languages there! More school!” Hinata groaned, and Kageyama couldn’t help but smile at  his partner’s Hinata’s over dramatic actions.

“Do you ever regret not doing anything in high school, Hinata?” 

“Well, that’s completely out of the blue. But yeah,” Hinata turned around to look at Kageyama.

“I regret not doing this the first day you helped me fly.”

_ What- _

Hinata leaned over the volleyball cart and placed his lips on Kageyama’s.

And then he promptly fell into the cart, balls spilling back onto the floor.

Kageyama quickly stepped back, touching his lips. _Was this real?_

“Um… it’s okay if you don’t return my feelings.” Hinata said, his voice muffled by the volleyballs in the cart. It was a comedic sight, one third-year stuffed into a volleyball cart, blue and yellow volleyballs rolling away from him on the floor. “It’s just- I thought-“

Fuck. Was he crying? Was this dumbass crying on their graduation day?

Hinata pulled himself out of the volleyball cart, hair drooping, tears spilling onto the floor.

He turned to Kageyama with a smile on his face, one so painful for Kageyama to look at. He knew it held shattered feelings, those puffy eyes making his heart ache.

Maybe Kageyama was the dumbass in this situation.

“Hinata, listen to me-“ Kageyama attempted to grab Hinata’s arm, but Hinata tugged him out of his grip, refusing to even LOOK at him-

This was all a misunderstanding. A very bad, terrible, horrible misunderstanding. Kageyama had never felt so scared in his life.

“We’re going separate ways, anyway. I’m not going to see you for five years. I don’t know why you would return my feelings, always calling me a dumbass, I- I don’t know!“

Hinata stood in the doorway, eyes glistening with tears as he pushed the net out of the way.

“Anyways, we’re going to be late for graduation. Let’s just… forget that this ever happened.” Hinata wiped his eyes as he turned towards the rest of the campus. Kageyama’s mind blanked for a second, just staring at the back of the person who was his soulmate, who was the one, but he had irreversibly fucked everything up. 

He knew he had to do something, anything. If not, he would probably regret this moment forever. Truly, he knew, things could never go back to how they were before. Not after that kiss. He couldn’t stop feeling the sensation of Hinata’s soft lips on his. Now, he knew that they couldn’t be just friends anymore, that they could never go back to how they were before. They were never really “just friends”. There was always something more, something there between them, a neverending pull, a tug that always existed there.

_ “I feel like it’s so close. Like the person that I’m looking for is just within reach, close enough to grab, but it’s impossible to reach out.”  _ Hinata’s words echoed in Kageyama’s mind. He had been talking about Kageyama, hadn’t he? They both had this sense of stability with each other, because they had thought that they would always be there for each other. Yin and yang. Forces that balanced the universe. Forever, even though that was impossible, but they could dream, be two stars right next to each other in the endless sky. Comforted by the fact that they would always exist together for however long time would exist, for eternity.

Yet, Hinata was moving to the other side of the world. How could they be together if thousands of miles separated them? Kageyama knew why he was going, for Hinata’s improvement in volleyball, to branch out, but…

Was it selfish of him to want to pull Hinata close to him, never wanting to let him go? To forever hold him in his arms, refusing to even let Hinata move an inch away from him, because the thought of Hinata going to the literal other side of the world was torture, something that would leave a bloody mark on his heart?

_ Yes, it was selfish _ . Even if Hinata chose to stay last-minute, there would always be that lingering regret in his mind, shame that he had kept Hinata from his full potential, to not be the absolute best that he could be, even without Kageyama’s help.  _ What if? What if? What if? _

They both needed a life without regrets.

That was why Kageyama rushed to Hinata’s side, and he pressed his lips to the other boy’s. He could feel Hinata startle, but then lean into the kiss. The kiss was like flying, in the clouds, free of any concerns or shame and just caught in the exhilaration of the moment. 

Kageyama truly believed that there wasn’t anything in life as good as kissing Hinata Shouyou. Not setting. Not milk. Not anything. He wanted to stay forever like this, his lips on Hinata’s soft ones, his body close to Hinata’s.

Their arms wrapped around each others’ bodies, tightly embracing each other as if they had been starved of each other’s touch for far too long. The other boy felt like home. Kageyama could smell Hinata’s cologne, not too overpowering but just enough to envelop himself in it. He wanted to wipe off the remaining tears on his face, some still streaming down, but for a different reason.

They both released from the kiss, gasping for air, and Hinata slowly brought his hand to his lips, touching them with awe, then wiping his face.

“You dumbass. I’ve always loved you,” Kageyama said.  _ Loved _ . Not a simple crush, one that’s fleeting and flitted around in his stomach until it became too bothersome to focus on, and by that time, both of them had moved on. He’s had too many of those before to know that this wasn’t it. He’s always  _ loved _ Hinata, somehow, from the first time he saw him on that court four years in middle school, the way his thoughts were almost always occupied by thoughts of the way time seemed to stop as Hinata launched himself into the air and flew above the highest block, somehow always there in the perfect place. They had always had some sort of telepathic connection, but Kageyama had never exactly realized it until now.

He wanted to give the world to Hinata, to always be able to make Hinata feel twice the joy he had when they won matches or got a particular spike in. The way those eyes lit up and lips curved seemed to feed Kageyama’s soul.  And made him want to kiss the hell out of Hinata, tasting smiles and giggles from underneath him. But he was too much of a coward before, wasn’t he?

“Yeah, me too,” Hinata responded, giving Kageyama a soft tug so they could sit on the wood floor. “I’ve always asked myself, why have I never had the courage to do this before? I’ve been in love with you since the first time we synced, where I saw the view over the net the first time.”

“‘As long as you’re with me, you’re invincible.’ Can I tell you how dreamy you looked when you said that?”

“You’re embarrassing me,” Kageyama socked his arm playfully, but then pulled him into another kiss, Hinata’s hair tickling his forehead, the contact of Hinata’s soft lips against his giving him an emotional high.  _ God, he was so handsome _ . Before, he was just cute, but with his toned muscles, his matured face, and that slightly longer hair which was finally long enough to tickle his face, he was the definition of perfection for Kageyama. 

“Hinata? I thought you had gone to get Kageyama, why aren’t you back-“ Yachi’s voice snapped them back into the world, out of the dreamscape that was each other. Looking up, Kageyama noticed that Yachi didn’t seem too shocked, even though she had dated Hinata once before. Her expressions seemed to be speaking: “FINALLY, you two are together. It’s been way too obvious from the start.” Ok, well not exactly that, but something along those lines. Probably a softer delivery, considering Yachi’s personality, always the calm, sweet, and sensible one out of all of the third-years associated with the volleyball team. 

She had grown so much over these years, hadn’t she? Before, Kageyama could recall her being too nervous to even look at any of them in the eyes. But now, she was a proud and fierce manager of the Karasuno volleyball team.

Maybe Hinata had confided in her about him. Maybe she was the one who helped Hinata realize his feelings for Kageyama. In any case, Kageyama was grateful to have her as both of their friends, always there for emotional support and 

Both Hinata and Kageyama looked at the clock simultaneously, and wow, they were DEFINITELY going to be late for their own graduation.

Holding hands and exchanging more kisses, they made their way back to where their graduation would take place.

  
  


A sea of graduation caps flew into the air, like a flock of crows. 

Two of them were intertwined with each other, as they would be for life.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok but like kiss scenes? how do u write those pls send help-
> 
> a n y w a y s FINALLY I HAVE WRITTEN IT THE KISS THE CLIMAX M W A H 
> 
> we stan these two bokes
> 
> Comments are once again really appreciated! I will try my best to respond to them as soon as possible! :D
> 
> See y'all soon! (Next chapter is a headcanon of Olympic KageHina)


	4. 9+10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Breaking News from the Tokyo Olympics:_
> 
> They're on the biggest stage in the world, and Team Japan just won the gold metal. 
> 
> And Kageyama has a plan, one which Hinata knows nothing about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAHHHH FINAL MAIN CHAPTER UP
> 
> (sorry for the weird summary I really don't know how to do them hnnghhhh)
> 
> I am so, SO sorry for not updating this for several months. I was on a bit of a social media cleanse and then redownloaded social media for winter break. To be honest, I should've expected that it vacuumed all of my time up, oops - 
> 
> I was planning to update this chapter yesterday, but AO3 was not cooperating with me i wONdER wHy 
> 
> ***cough* Heat Waves *cough*** (to be clear I do not read that fic but am in the dream smp fandom)
> 
> But yes! Enough procrastination and let's go to the volleyball idiots who are madly in love.

All over the world, the electronic scoreboard flicked to 33 - Japan, 31 - Argentina, in the fifth set. The roaring of the crowd, how it echoed within the stadium -

This wasn’t just nationals. No, this was  _ inter _ nationals. Hinata could practically feel the stares of thousands, maybe even millions, of eyes, as both he and Kageyama pumped their fists in enthusiasm, the sting of the ball still fresh in his palm.

~~ Not going to lie, Hinata wanted nothing more than to make out with Kageyama but - ~~

The sensation was still as thrilling as it was the first time, where he had swung blindly, trusting that Kageyama would give him the perfect pass. However, many years later,  _ he _ was the one who had taken control, who had asserted dominance over the play. 

But Kageyama still pushed him to his limits, not totally succumbing to Hinata’s will. It was a constant fight for power, the set and toss, both the setter and the hitter wanting control. Usually, this would end up as a terrible thing for the team, but Hinata and Kageyama were special cases. Each one seemed to know exactly how the other would set or spike, as if they had a telepathic connection. Well, they definitely did have a telepathic connection. 

**They were soulmates, after all.**

“YESSSSSSS!” Hinata yelled, pumping his fist and raising it to the crowd, who chanted: “Shouyou, Shouyou, Ninja Ninja Shouyou!” 

“WOOOOOO!” Hoshiumi Korai screamed, clapping Hinata’s back and raising his hand to the crowd. Hinata gave a huge grin and clapped Hoshiumi’s back in response, cheering, too.

“Guess we don’t have to share the title of the Little Giant after all, don’t we?” Hinata grinned as they did a handshake.

“Nah, it’s all me. But you have something cooler - the Greatest Decoy!” Hoshiumi sighed and shook his head, but a smile lingered on his face. “Man, there’s never been someone like that. I have to follow in someone’s footsteps, but you?” Hoshiumi pointed at Hinata and declared: “You get to follow your own path!” 

“What do you think I’ve been doing for the past three years?” Hinata playfully shoved Hoshiumi. He gave Hinata a huge grin and gave him a little shove back.

He turned and walked to his teammates, who were also waving and cheering at the crowd. However, on the other side, he caught a glimpse of familiar brown hair, who gave a little gesture, seeming to say, “Come here, you idiot.”

Hinata rolled his eyes but made his way towards his high school and international rival, Tooru Oikawa.

“What’s it feel like to lose, Great King?” Hinata greeted Tooru Oikawa as they shook hands under the net. Oikawa’s smile grew a bit more strained and Hinata could feel the handshake tighten significantly. 

“It’s not the first time I’ve lost to you, no. But, I promise I’ll be here again, and crush you two under my palms. It’ll be so fun~”

Hinata laughed, and released the handshake, waving his hand around a little bit, more red than he had ever seen it in his life. 

“Well, guess what? We’re going to beat you again and again! But I’m looking forward to seeing you on the international stage again!”

Both players looked around the stadium, at the crowd which was still cheering for both teams Japan and Argentina. 

“You know,” Oikawa gave a little sigh, closing his eyes and then opening them again with a new glint in them. “Who could have imagined that this would happen? High school rivals in the same district, meeting again at the international level? Such a cliché, isn’t it?” Oikawa gestured to the crowd. “It’s completely different, but it’s the same, isn’t it?”

“Sure, whatever you say, Great King!” Hinata grinned up at him. “At least I made it to nationals!”

“You little bitch-“

“Oh, I wonder if the TV stations heard that! Not such a good role model anymore, are you?”

Oikawa let out an exasperated sigh and raked his hand through his hair. “Shut up, little shrimp.”

“No, you shut up!”

“I swear, it’s like talking to a twelve-year-old-“

“If I’m twelve, then you’re five!” Hinata stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at Oikawa, who looked on in disgust.

“What are you doing, Shittykawa? Bullying the star hitter of Japan’s team? Now, that's low even for you.” Iwaizumi walked up to the two squabbling players and wrapped his arm around Oikawa’s shoulders, giving Oikawa a firm pat on the back that made the Olympic player wince.

“But you still love me, anyway, don’t you, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa planted a kiss on Iwaizumi’s cheek, making the latter turn bright red and push himself away.

“Fuck you!”

“Well, that’s rather direct, but I’ll be glad to~”

“ANYWAYS,” Iwaizumi turned to Hinata with an exasperated expression. “Kageyama needs to talk to you.” He pointed his thumb, and Hinata immediately saw the familiar head of hair, those blue eyes like an ocean that he could get lost in-

He had been in deep for some time. Probably for all of high school, and they had stayed together for ten years, taking some breaks every now and then because long-distance relationships were just… difficult sometimes. But those struggles didn’t matter anymore when the man of his dreams was literally standing right there, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss him into oblivion -

Shoot. They were still in the Japan Stadium. There were still TV cameras aimed at all of them, probably capturing Hinata’s lovesick gaze. This was fine. IT WAS FINE.

“It’s like watching a puppy~” He could hear Oikawa commenting in the background, making Hinata grit his teeth and walk towards Kageyama.

“Hey, so you wanted to talk to me about something?” Hinata sidled up to Kageyama, grabbing an extra water bottle and chugging the whole thing unnecessarily just so he could be dramatic.

Kageyama gave him a glare and chugged another water bottle at a - _ ha! _ \- slightly slower speed. 

“Yeah, just wait for a second. I’ll be right back.” Kageyama seemed to be looking at something else, but Hinata had literally no clue what it was. The almost-imperceptible nod of Kageyama’s head, and then he was walking toward the locker room. Huh. What had he forgotten?

“That’s win 9008!” Hinata called out to the disappearing figure, which tensed up a little and turned to glare at him for a second.

Some things really never change, do they?

Clearing a space, Hinata plopped himself down on the bench, grabbing a towel to wipe his sweat away, chatting with his other teammates. Why did Kageyama just go to the locker room, with no explanation?

_ Huh. _

“Time for the medal ceremony, Shouyou!” Hoshiumi waved him over to the center of the court, where the net and poles had been taken down, only the bare synthetic court under his soles. Flashbacks to his first nationals tournament, the familiar colored court surrounding him. But instead of different teams surrounding him in so many different directions, it was just Japan and Argentina, the two greatest teams in the world, twelve players on the court, the stadium roaring around them, louder than he had ever heard them before.

Hinata could feel the energy building up around them as he stood on the top podium with his team. Team Japan. The air itself seemed to vibrate with energy, the ground faintly shaking beneath them because of the roaring. 

Large TEAM JAPAN and TEAM ARGENTINA banners were all around the stadium, hundreds, no thousands, of people cheering them on, both in the stadium and through the TV screen.

_ And there was one short boy who was biking home, thinking about the short orange-haired volleyball player on team Japan. _

“Congratulations to Team Japan, the gold medalists for this year’s 2020 Tokyo Olympics!”

The crowd roared once again as Hinata and his teammates proudly displayed their gold medals, the soft fabric around their necks stretching as they held the shiny discs for the cameras. There were several people crying on his team,  _ totally _ not including Hinata himself. Kageyama, that bastard, he wasn’t crying. Wait - AHA! A TEAR! Was this win 9009? Hinata had cried first. This had to be a win.

There was something different about Kageyama though, as if he was anticipating something. But what could he be anticipating? They had already won! Getting drunk after the win was cool, but it wasn’t as good as the win itself. Hinata tilted his head slightly as he glanced at Kageyama, still trying to figure out what he was hiding. And that was the thing, too! Usually Hinata knew exactly what Kageyama was thinking, but not being able to connect this time didn’t scare him. No, it filled him with this weird anticipation that started in his heart but then flowed to the rest of his body, making him really fidgety or jumpy.

Their hands brushed, and Hinata quickly gripped Kageyama’s and pumped their hands into the air, grinning wildly.

Soon, the sound of the camera shutters quieted, but Hinata was still aware of the devices aimed on his team. The ceremony was over, the audience starting to shuffle out of the stadium.

Suddenly, it hit him.  _ They had done it _ . They were literally the  _ best _ in the world.

“Kageyama, we’re the best in the world! We did it-” Hinata turned to Kageyama, who was taking something out of his jacket - wait, what?

Kageyama took a box out of his jacket, the dark blue velvet sheen shining in the lights of the stadium.

Bending on one knee, Kageyama smoothly opened the box, which - much to Hinata’s surprise - contained a ring.

* * *

_ Breaking News: KAGEYAMA TOBIO PROPOSES TO HINATA SHOUYOU AFTER MEDAL CEREMONY _

* * *

Hinata could vaguely feel the cameras flashing around him, trained on them, on this moment. This had to be a dream, wasn’t it? It was a very, very good dream that couldn’t possibly be real, because Kageyama would eternally one-up him forever with this.

“Hinata Shouyou, light of my life, sunshine which lights up my brightest days and darkest nights. My partner, my soulmate, my life itself.” 

“Will you marry me?”

The world seemed to come to a stop at that moment. Kageyama’s eyes, those eyes the color of the night sky, holding something so vulnerable, but so sure, so sure that Hinata would say what he wanted him to say. It was an almost comic sight, Kageyama bending down on one knee and delicately holding a box half the size of his palm, with a ring inside it that- 

“YES! OF COURSE I DO!” 

Hinata, in one swift motion, took the ring from the box and placed it on his right ring finger, smiling at the way it dazzled.

Cameras flickered around them, shutters rapidly opening and closing, the flashing of lights growing brighter and brighter.  


But the only person he noticed was his fiancé, pulling him into a kiss. It was almost impossible to wrap his head around it, but this day was inevitable. Kageyama had won this round.

They called him many names, the Greatest Decoy, the Little Giant, and Ninja Shouyou among many others.

But today, he had gained another name. Kageyama Shouyou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed and it wasn't too cheesy - oops.
> 
> Stick around for the next chapter - a side story featuring Yachi and Hinata!!

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to follow my tumblr @embers-of-the-sunset! General fangirling, recs and updates can be found there :)


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